Telegraph-blank



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. 0. DONNELL. TELEGRAPH BLANK.

No. 443,505. Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

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2 sheets-Sheena TELEGRAPH BLANK.

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UNITED STATES JOHN 0. DONNELL, or LOWVILLEJNEW YORK.

TELEGRAPH-BLANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,505, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed October 2, 1889' Qerial No. 325,741. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN O. DONNELL, of Lowville, in the county of Lewis and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Telegraph, Telephone, and other Message Blanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to telegraph, telephone, and other message blanks for use in cases where an answer is desired or a duplicate for reference is required, and for other purposes. It is more especially intended, however, for telegraph, telephone, and other messages requiring an answer; and it consists in a perforated general or double blank divisible into independent blanks, original and duplicate, and provided with opposite end flaps perforated at their connection with the body of the double blank, whereby either the latter or the divided blanks are made to form their own envelopes and may be folded up and sealed, substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim, and whereby numerous advantages are obtained, as hereinafter set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding part-s in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a face view of a telegraph or other like double blank embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view of the same partly folded, and Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the double blank closed.

A in Fig. 1 indicates the general or double blank, and A A the two parts into which it is capable of being divided to constitute the original and duplicate of the blank, and which parts when separated from each other form independent blanks, and will here so be termed in their connected state to distinguish them from the entire blank A. Said entire or double blank A may be cut from a sheet of paper of any desired shape, but, preferably, of greater length than width. Thus for a telegraph or telephone message blank the double blank A may be about the width of an ordinary blank of the kind, but twice its length, more or less. Upon this double blank any printed matter or heading may be placedsuch, for instance, as 1S usual in the common form of telegraph-blanksand this printed matter or heading 1) is duplicated upon the sheet, one of such being at the top of the sheet and the other about midwayiof it, thus forming two independent messageblanks A A out of or from theg'eneral blank A, instead of a single-headed blank. These printed headings on the independent blanks A A though the same on each, of course may be varied to suit different kinds of blanks.

The sheet forming the entire blank A is cut slightly shorter on the right and left hand sides of its upper and lower margins, leaving central more or less projecting top and bottom or end portions 0 c, which constitute flaps to fold over and seal the independent message-blanks A A when separated from each other through a row of perforations (Z across the entire blank A near the middle of its length.

\Vhere the final fold of either flap takes place before sealing, a row of perforations e is made on a line which is coincident with the reduced portions of the blank 011 the right and left hand sides of either flap. Either flap is folded through the center of these perforations to indicate where to open the sealed blank and to facilitate the opening of such blank on the line of said perforations cl, and by this disposition of said perforations either flap when sealed will remain sealed fast on the blank, so that on opening the latter there will be no injury of either blank.

Across where the independent or original and duplicate blanks A A join are one or more marks f, of any suitable kind, extended so as to be part on one of said blanks and in part on the other thereof, in order that after said blanks have been separated and used the one which forms the duplicate may be readily identified with the other or original blank by placing it in its normal position and so that the marks f will be in alignment on both blanks. This may sometimes be necessary to prove that the one blank was primarily the attached duplicate of the other.

Mucilage or other adhesive material is or may be applied to the inner surfaces of the flaps c c or to the portion of the back of the blank on which they close to seal them.

From this description it will be seen that the duplicate blank A is so combined with the original A as to form a whole with place for sealing, not only for the original, butalso for the duplicate, thus in the case of telegraph, telephone, or other messages dispensing with two envelopes, besides insuring the sending of a blank for a return-message, which frequently is omitted by a careless oporator.

The double blank A being constructed as described, it may be folded by first turning down or inward its sides upon the lines h h, and then on the lines I; t' i, the intermediate one of which is central through the perforations (Z. It is then ready for use and sealing by the closing of its exposed flap, the original blank, which may be represented by A, having the message written upon it and carrying along with and having attached in a separable manner to it aduplicate blank A for the return message, which latter blank on being detached along the line of perforations d and having the return message on it may afterward be folded in like manner as the entire sheet and be subsequently sealed by the closing of its flap. In this way or by these means one envelope will at least be saved, and in the case of telegraph, telephone, and other messages or orders this will form a large reduction of the whole expense of using such blanks. The invention also, as already explained, will insure a blank being sent for a return message or answer, the sending of which is frequently neglected by operators. Likewise a ready method of sealing the answer and the original message is provided for,

so that an answer when sent is secure from observation until opened by the operator, WllICll is very important, as messages requiring an ,immediate answer are frequently delivered in the street or other places away from a business office.

This combined message and blank for an answer will also be found very useful in various commercial transactions where an immediate answer is desired, sueh as orders, inquiries, remittances, where a return receipt is desired, and similar transactions. The provision made for identifying the duplicate with the original will also be very useful in various businesstransactions. Agaimperforating the very edge of the fold on the flaps and in the middle of the margin of the blank so plainly indicates where to open that the frequent mistake of tea-ring open a message in a hurry is avoided.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent .As an improved article of manufacture, a double-message blank having a transverse line of severance dividing itinto two sections, and a flap on the upper and lower edges, respectively, of said sections, the ends of the flaps terminating at points within the side edges of the blank to form the folding-lines 72. h, the flaps 0 having lines of severance along their bases, substantially as set forth.

JOHN O. DONNELL.

Witnesses:

M. B. O. DONNELL, KATE NoLKn. 

